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Break out the umbrella and head to the plant sales

Several gardening fundraisers this weekend, starting Friday

Expect plants of all types (but not sunshine) this weekend at the many sales scheduled in the region, from Woodland to Placerville.

Expect plants of all types (but not sunshine) this weekend at the many sales scheduled in the region, from Woodland to Placerville. Kathy Morrison

April may be the cruelest month, but it's also a crucial month for Sacramento-area gardeners and garden groups. 

Fact: No less than eight plant sales are happening in the region Friday and/or Saturday.

Fact (and the cruel part): It's going to rain most of Friday and Saturday.

Fact: Plants don't melt in the rain, and neither do gardeners.

Which means the groups and students planning these plant sales -- each an important fundraiser -- will be ready for rain and happy to see all interested plant shoppers.

So find those rain boots, umbrellas and water-repellant jackets. Maybe a tarp for the wagon, too, before you head out.

Here's a rundown of the weekend's sales:

Friday and Saturday

--  9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sacramento Perennial Plant Club, on the grounds of the historic Azevedo-Moll House and Tank House, 1911 Bannon Creek Drive, South Natomas, Sacramento. Open to the public. Club information: https://sacplants.org/

This fundraising sale features plants of all types propagated by the club memberss.  In addition to many varieties of perennials, there's always a wide selection of California natives, tomatoes and other summer veggies, plus succulents, herbs, indoor plants and shade plants. Proceeds from the sale go toward the club's Saul Wiseman Gardening Grants and other community projects. Also, "Stan the Tool Man" will be available  to sharpen scissors, knives and garden tools, as well as drill drainage holes in containers. 

Saturday only

-- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. American River College, in the Environmental Resource Area, south of Parking Lot A in the northeast corner of the campus, 4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento. (Enter on Myrtle Avenue.) Vegetable and flower starts, berries, perennials, succulents, cactus, shrubs, landscape plants and California natives will be for sale, all student-raised. Credit cards accepted.  Recommended: Bring a wagon or cart to transport plants. Proceeds benefit the Horticulture program. https://www.facebook.com/americanrivercollege

-- 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Elk Grove Garden Club, at a private home, 8609 Brodie Ct., Elk Grove. Find vegetables, flowers, herbs, perennials, succulents. Great source of unusual plants; garden crafts, too. Many of the plants are propagated by Sacramento master gardeners who are club members. Cash or check only. https://www.elkgrovegardenclub.org/

-- 8 a.m. to noon, Master Gardeners of El Dorado County, at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden, 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville, behind the Folsom Lake College El Dorado Center. This sale is edibles only, covering many types of herbs, edible flowers, fruits (including some trees and cane berries) and plenty of vegetables, including 39 varieties of tomatoes and 19 types of peppers, plus starts for squashes, pumpkins, bok choi, cucumbers and eggplants. (Ornamentals sale will be held April 25.) Proceeds benefit programs and plantings at the Sherwood garden. Parking is $2, payable at kiosks. https://www.facebook.com/UCElDoradoMG

-- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Elk Grove Community Garden, 10025 Hampton Oak Drive, Elk Grove. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, herbs, succulents, house plants and more will be sold. Cash, checks, Venmo or PayPal accepted. Click here for inventory page. Pre-orders are being taken; pick up late Thursday (April 9) or during sale hours Saturday. Email plantsrdanzz4joy@gmail.com with pre-orders. The garden will also be accepting canned food donations for the Elk Grove Food Bank. elkgrovecommunitygarden.org

-- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,  Yolo County Master Gardeners at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road, Woodland. Drought-tolerant ornamentals will be available, including California natives, pollinator-friendly perennials and annuals that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, along with tomato plants (including heirloom varieties). Pricing: quart-size pots $5, annuals $3, and 4-inch tomato pots $4 (plus tax where applicable). Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted. 

-- 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Grace Garden Plant Sale, back patio of the United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis, though expected to move inside during rain. During the sale, meet Rich Marovich from Rotary Club of Winters who can tell Yolo County residents how to participate in the Monarch Waystation Project. Also, a performance by Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, a student-run Japanese cultural drumming group at UC Davis. Sale followed at 11 a.m. by a tour of Grace Garden with Yolo master gardener Ann Liu. Information here.

-- 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery Plant Sale, members only, followed by 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., open to the public, Garrod Drive, UC Davis. Second of four spring plant sales. For additional information, see our post from Monday, April 6.

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons,  radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth